FIVE ELEMENTS OF A STRONG RESUME

Include these five things and get noticed by employers

If you want a potential employer to see you as an organized, intelligent, high-performing professional, you need to make that clear with your resume. You can do that by organizing your resume well and adding some key elements, including these:

  1. Multiple formats.This is the 21st century: you'll need to provide your resume in various formats in order to get the word out to employers. You should have digital resume, which you can upload easily to job search websites like Indeed. Consider making two versions of an electronic resume: one that is text only with spacing to indicate new sections, and one that is formatted as you would like. You should also have a printed resume on hand to provide during interviews.
  2. Summary up top.You have a moment to get the attention of your resume reviewer before he or she needs to move on to the next resume in the stack. Make the most of that moment by offering a short profile of you and your work at the top of the page. You should include key accomplishments and a sense of your career focus. Make sure you use active verbs and vivid language.
  3. Keywords.Employers often use computer scanners to review resumes in order to weed out those that don't meet the minimum job requirements. You need to make sure your resume features the language associated with your profession. Use these words throughout as you describe your job background.
  4. Clear, measurable successes.You have trophies to show for your work; they're called, for example: meeting 10 of 10 project goals on time and in budget; earning an industry award for the best product design; moving up the career ladder within five years of hire; or launching a service that brought in a certain percentage of profit. Be honest about your skills and work experience, but emphasize results.
  5. A cover letter.It's a good idea to frame your resume by adding a cover letter. In it, you can expand on why you're a great fit for the position and show any research you've done on the company. Whether you mail or email a resume, include a cover letter as an introduction.

RESUME FAQS

Review this list before you write up your resume

Q.: What should go into a resume?

A.:Your resume serves as a guide to your personality, goals, skill sets, and experience. As such, your resume should include:

  • A short resume profile, which describes how your main qualifications match the job for which you are applying
  • A list of your accomplishments, using active verbs and emphasizing results
  • Volunteer work and affiliations with clubs and service organizations
  • Work history that includes relevant internships
  • Educational background
  • A statement on references

Q.: Does my resume have to be one page?

A.:It's best in most cases, but it's not the most important issue. Focus instead on making sure your resume reflects all of the important components (employment history and experience, skill sets, etc.).

Q.: Is it necessary that I have an objective?

A.:For years, this was considered a standard part of the resume. However, that's changing. You can convey the same information in a more targeted way by including a resume profile, that is, a statement matching your qualifications to the job.

Q: Do I need to have several different resumes to reflect different fields I might want to go into?

A.:Yes, create a generic resume that you customize for different jobs. The more you can customize your resume, the better. This will increase the likelihood your resume grabs attention.

SKILLS FOR ANY RESUME

Add skills to your resume that grab an employer's attention

For any skill you include in your resume, it's a plus if you can mention results. For instance, "great problem-solving skills" is not as good as "identified new ordering process that significantly reduced delivery times." Here's a short list of generic skills that you can add to your resume and then illustrate with successes from your career.

  • Negotiation and consensus-building— If you work at a company that has more than one employee, you need good interaction skills, including the ability to negotiate issues and build consensus. Having good interaction skills means you can share your ideas, gain the trust of others, and resolve potential issues.
  • Analytical skills— When problems do arise, having the ability to understand them — to break down issues to their components — is essential. Individuals with the ability to develop solutions and make effective business decisions are great candidates for leadership roles.
  • Planning and organization— Most organizations rely on employees with strong skills in their chosen profession. But it's also essential to have workers who can prioritize workloads and attack deadlines in a systematic way. Highlight how you've done this by listing important projects and describing your game plan to meet budgets and timelines.

100 GREAT RESUME WORDS

Use active voice and include words that pack a verbal punch

Engage your resume reader with vivid language that captures what you do and why you do it well. Here are some words to make your resume attention-grabbing and dynamic:

100 Great Resume Words
Assist
Able
Action
Analysis
Achievement
Accomplished
Advanced
Conduct
Consult
Committed
Conducted
Contributed
Coordinated
Delegated
Develop
Deliver
Design
Defined
Diversified
Devoted
Distinguished
Encourage
Earned
Enhance
Evaluate / Examined
Facilitate
Formulate
Fulfilled
Forecasted
Generated
Gained
Gathered
Gave
Headed
Hosted
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Improvised
Influenced
Launched
Lobbied
Maintained
Managed
Marketed
Maximized
Mediated
Modernized
Motivated / Negotiated
Observed
Obtained
Operated
Organized
Originated
Overhauled
Oversaw
Participated
Performed
Pioneered
Planned
Prepared
Presented
Promoted
Provided
Published
Pursued
Quantified
Ranked
Received
Recommended
Redesigned
Reengineered
Reorganized
/ Represented
Restructured
Revised
Safeguarded
Secured
Selected
Specified
Spearheaded
Standardized
Strengthened
Structured
Suggested
Superseded
Supervised
Targeted
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transcended
Unified
Upgraded
Utilized
Validated
Valued
Wrote

FOUR RESUME DON'TS

Avoid these common errors when drafting your resume

Your resume provides that all-important first impression to a potential employer. Even one mistake, like a misspelled word or missing punctuation, shows a lack of attention and can decrease your chances of receiving an interview. Here are some resume errors to avoid. Keep these tips in mind and you'll be on the right track to landing the interview you want.

  1. Poor spelling/grammar— Don't depend just on your software's spell-checker. Have someone read through your resume and look for incorrect spelling and grammar. Poor spelling and grammar can land your resume in the electronic trash bin.
  2. Overstating your experience— Your resume is meant to be a tool to sell yourself. Don't exaggerate your experiences. Exaggerating can set up unreasonable expectations. Although it may get you the interview, over-statement won't get you through the interview.
  3. Providing too much information— Don't crowd your resume with too much language. A resume choking with words can be the equivalent of someone who can't stop talking. Give your reader room to breathe: Add space to your text and make sentences into scannable bullets as much as possible.
  4. Being too generic— When it comes to describing yourself and how you're a good fit for the position, be specific. For example, if you're applying at a high-volume restaurant, "customer service experience" is not as good as "managed the rush after home games."